Some firewood banks have embraced their role as fuel reduction outlets in areas prone to adverse wildfires. Is your firewood bank located in a Wildland Urban Interface? Is it in an area that faces wildfire challenges? This is a great connection to consider (if you haven't already!).

The Sho-Pai Wood Bank Crew is Just Getting Warmed Up

"Bordering southern Idaho, in Owyhee, Nevada, winter temperatures can dip below zero degrees on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. For Shoshone-Paiute Tribal members, burning wood to heat their homes has been a way of life for generations."

Firewood Bank Grant Information

2024-2025 "Start-up" and "New Applicant" Grants

Are you thinking of starting a firewood bank and plan to deliver 5 or more cords of wood? Are you an existing firewood bank that has never received funding from AGH? APPLY NOW.

Reminder: Renewal Applications open September 1, 2024.

Renewal grants of up to $10,000 will be available for those firewood banks funded in Y2 (2023-2024) that process 100+ cords. For firewood banks funded in Y1 (2022-2023), grants between $2,500 and $10,000 will be available, based on the number of cords processed.

2024-2025 Grantees

Nineteen firewood banks from thirteen states are getting a total of $203,000 so far in the grant funding cycle. Read some of the current grantees' bios here.

EPA Burn Wise Education Materials

Education Materials in Spanish

No matter what language you speak, you should be able to access information on how to burn firewood in the safest, most efficient way. The Burn Wise program has several of their lead program brochures and flyers in Spanish. They also have their tip sheets in Chinese, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

The Wood Shed

Opportunity to Receive Free Air Quality Monitors

We want to know how visible air quality measurements in wood-burning homes affect the behavior of firewood users. Take advantage of this opportunity to lend air quality monitors to the firewood bank patrons that would benefit from understanding their indoor air conditions the most. Read more about it here!

Profile in Compassion: Mike Mayernik

This month we feature Mike, who is the Stewardship Coordinator for Swan Valley Connections in Condon, MT.

Could your firewood bank patrons benefit from small home renovations that would increase heat retention in the home? Now is the perfect time to assess a home for its weatherization needs! Contact our Energy Equity Program Manager, Hannah, to get help with applying for weatherization assistance in your state.

Firewood Banks in the News

Short Film on Local Wood Bank Highlighting UMaine Selected for Film Festival

“The film follows the work of the Waldo County Woodshed in Searsmont to provide the community with free firewood and its impact on the life and family of Jessica Allsop, who both volunteers and receives wood to heat her home during the winter.”

Research on Firewood Bank

Leveraging Climate Change for Community Good: Firewood Banks Use Natural Resources to Reduce Household Fuel Poverty

Presenting author, Clarisse Hart, brought firewood bank research to the 2024 Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting! The team of researchers on the project included those with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Maine, Duke University, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and AGH's Darian Dyer.

LIHEAP Action Month

Firewood banks know all to well the struggle many in their community deal with to sufficiently heat their homes. We know that 1 in 4 homes in the US report energy insecurity. LIHEAP provides federal funds to families to help with the energy costs of their homes, including firewood for heat. Several firewood banks are also LIHEAP firewood providers, which means they get paid back for firewood delivered to homes that qualify for LIHEAP. Contact Hannah Stinson if your bank is interested in this, or if you just want to help your firewood recipients gets signed up for LIHEAP.

Check out their LIHEAP Action Toolkit to learn about different ways that you can advocate for LIHEAP funding in your community this month.

Do you have firewood bank stories to tell or resources to share? Email us!